Automatic valve.



H. J. LON-G. AUTOMATIC VALVE. APPLIOATIONHLED mmf-i, 1h11.

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I-I'ERBERT J. LONG, ,OF vNEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

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Speciicatipn of Letters Patent. Patented 112511111, 1913.

Application med :raie 1, 1911. serial No. 630,590.'

`To all whom it may conce/rn;I il

Beit known that I, HERBERT J. LONG, a

citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and

- following is a specification,

medium of a fluid,

residing atNewBiunswick, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful ,Improvements in Automatic Valves, ofwhich the such as will en able those skilled inthe art-"to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to valves, with 'particular reference to the use thereoffin Vgas, burningdevices, such as water heaters and the like, and the object thereof is to provide means for operating such a valve Ythrough the said operation being automatically performed.

A. further object valve by means of is to operate the said a' diaphragm which is adapted to be flexed -by the pressure of A the fluidagainst the same.

'A further object is to provide a valve vin connection with said diaphragm which is adapted to be opened when the diaphragm is moved in .one direction and closed in the other direction in order to permit -the passage ofthe fluid therethrough. 4

A further 'object is to provide a permanent vent through the said diaphragm whereby the diaphragm may be returned to normal position after having been forced therefrom. i.

A further object is -to provide la connection between the said diaphragm and the there is the constant possibility of movable v.p parts, lgenerally sliding, sticking together because of rust. corrosion, and the like. and also being rendered inoperative because of lead. scale,v or other foreign matter lodgingv when the water supply is closed ol,-this having resulted, on numerous occasions, in serious accidents, and it was that my present invention was conceived and in which, even though the water supply valve which 1I employ should become 1noperative by clogging or otherwise, the gas valve -is still properly operated into closing position,-the main reason being thatI dispense with tlieusual plunger valves for the water's'upply', and I also carry my water supply .valve on and with the diaphragm,

thus not. preventing diaphragm movement to close the gas valve when the water presto avoid this V.

eov

sure is turned ott', despite the presence of o structing matter in thewater valve.

- My invention is fully` described in the fol-- `lowing specification, of which the accom-,f1

panying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts aredesignated by the lsame reference' characters in each of the views, and in which i Figure l is a central, vertical. section taken through a valve constructed according to my invention andlshowingva fragment of-the 'casingv of'a water heater with which it is adapted to be used: and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View taken on the line Z-Q of Fig. 1.

The form of embodiment of rny invention illustrated is intended for um in connection with that class of water heaterswherein the water passes from `.the main ypipe through a coil within the heater 4'casing andthence to the :faucet of a washstand lor the-like and in which suitableI gas which are adapted to be ignitedoy means of.

a constantly burning pilot, light 'when'the water is turned on .at the faucet, the said water causing a pressure againstamovable element in connection with the main gas supply valve.

ln the drawingsforming a par-t of this application I haveV illustrateda portion of the casing a of a water heater within which i are arranged the coil of'tubing, the main burners. and lthe pilot light, none of these parts being shown, hewever, as they form no art of this vinvention and maybe of any welhknown form of construction. the main -burners being fed through a pipef having burners are emplo ed-v a valve b arranged therein. said'valvecomprising a casing having inlet' and outlet beneath or between such movable parts, with g ports b2 and L31 respectively, and a. disk the result that the gas supply is not shut olf l valve i 5t seated above the port b2. said disk having a stem b connected therewith and being normally held upon iteseat by means of a .spring 56.

Secured to the casing ofthe valve b is a Support c which carries a casingat t-he upper -end thereof; said Casing comprising a cupshaped lower member a2 provided with an in`A let port c3 and abell-shaped portion ct pro` vided with an out-let port said members c and c4L being preferably held together by means of a suitablescrew thread or the like and having -a flexible diaphragm d held therebetween, said diaphragnibeing pro-l vided with al relatively large central opening Ytherethrough. Secured to the under side of the diaphragm (l, in any suitable manner is ar voke Z2 .to which is secured a rod d? extendingdownwardly toward and in line witlhgthe' valve stem b5. said rod d3 and valve 'stemb5 being connected with each' other by means of reverse-ly arrangedhooks (Z4 and d5, a certain degree of play being per,-

mitted between these hooks fora reason hereinafter pointedout. andthe said hooks are preferably screwed into their respective rod or ste-ni in order to ladjust the degree of said playor lost motion. Y,

. Secured tothe top of the'diaphragm (Z is a plate e'having a pluralitv of openings e2 therethrough, and a rod e3 is passed centrally therethrough .and-'provided with a 'disk e* at the lower end thereof whichserves i 4as a vvalve for vthe opening through the diaphragrn, and'said disk is provided with a small vent e5 which permits the passage of Water therethrough at all times. the ysaid rod e3 being provided with a plate e on its ,A in proportion to the degree of movement of said disk. and the said disk is normally held vas fop adapted to strike the upper surface of the member c4 of the casing in. the upward flexing ofghe diaphragm. thus moving the disk e4 fr mits seat and permitting the water to pass freely through the diaphragm against its seat b v means of a spring e".

l 1 The port c3 of the member c2 of the casing is in communication with a mam water pipe f whichunay have a valve f2 therein if desired and at f3 I haveshown a pipe which passes into the casing of the heater and is coiled or otherwise arranged therein and thence/ to the point of use for the water.l

A valve k mayl beemployed in the main gas supply pipe if desired. this 'being for a complete shutting ofi of the gas when it isI not desired to use the heater. and a'pilot light tube h2 is in communication with the said main gas supply pipe at a point bevond the valves therein, this being for the purpose of permitting constant burning of the pilot light irrespective of the valve operation and, withf the partsin the positions shown in the drawings. if the yvater should be turned on at the .faucet e :i the r light be'burninf, the

phragm andl thereby operating the disk e4 toV permit thev passage of water through the said diaphragm, this flexing resulting also in raising the disk b* from its seat and permitting the gas to pass through the casing 7J pass from the main supply pipe f into the casing formed by the members c? and c, thel pressure of the lsaid water flexing the diarion its w'ay' to the main burners whereit is I ignited by nieans'of thep'ilot light. The water then passes through the diaphragm d, pipe f, and through, thecoils in the heater casing where the said water is heated and passes thence to the faucet, lthe parts being held in this 'alternate or open position just as long as the faucet is open, but when the faucet is closed there is `no longer pressure beneath the diaphragm and it is returned to its norziialposition by means of its own elasticity and assisted by the' spring b5 when itl forces "the vdisk bt against its seat, this ldiaphragm and nothing prevents the dia phragm from returning to normal position. In existing types of automatic gas valve operating devices it has been found that the parts stick together in their alternate -position with the result that the gas valve is not closed when the outlet faucet is closed, thtis permitting a waste of gas and resulting in a continuous heating of the water Within the heater and which might result in an eX-v plosion because `there is no outlet therefor,

`butwith my vdevice there are no parts to stick together, the diaphragm being the main operable element and this is freely moved at all times, and it has also been found that foreign substances Will sometimes pass through the main Water supply pipe and into the gas valve operating' device and prevent afreturn of the parts to normal position, but in my device it wouldA require a foreivn substance of much greater size than could pass through the said water pipe to interfere in any way with the diaphragm movement and there is, therefore, no possibility of the gas valve being held in open position after the outlet faucet has been closed even though the diaphragm valve l mightbe held open by foreign matter.

Ashereinbefcre -stated al degree of play is permitted in the connection between the gas valve and the operating device therefor, the reason vforwhich is that there is a greater degree of movement ofthe'diaphragm moveinentthan that of the gas valve, and this is readily adjusted at anytime 'to insure seating of the 'gas valve before the diahas resumed its normal position.

'form of embodiment modifcationawhat I claim as new and My invention. is very simple `and is positive in operation, entirely automatic,| and perfectly s a'fe and, while I have shown one.

thereof, it will be. 0bviolis that changes-in and modifications. of the same maybe made and still'ibe within thespiritof my invention, Within .the scope of the -following claims and, reserving toi myself th'e right to all such changes aid 'sire to secure by. Letters Patent, is

' approximating 1. The combination of a gas supply pipe, a valve therein, a Water supply pipe,'a cas"- ing in communication therewith, a diaphragm in 'saidcasing provided with a pdrt' therethrough, 'and operative connections be` tween said diaphragmand gas valve, and a valve forsaid' diaphragm port carried bysaid diaphragm and adapted to ,be opened Whenthe latter' has been forced toA` a position' ed to return to i In testimony that I-clalm its limit' of movement by Water pressure,'said diaphragm being adaptnormal position to close said gas valve independently ofthe closure of'Y ythe diaphragm valve.

2. The conibinationofa gas supply pipe, a valve. -therein, a water supply pipe, a casing inconununipation. therewith,

valved port 'therethrough and movable therewith, said diaphragm belin close said *gas valvel independentlyof the operation off said diaphragm valve, and 'ex'- ternal means for adjusting the moment of V gas valve operation by cbmpensating for, `the difference in ldegree of movement ofsaid diaphragm dver' said gas valve.

'as vmy invention 'I have Vsigned my name 1nv 22nd d ay of lMay 1911.

' 'HERBERT J. LONG Witnesses: j

` GEORGE F. BENTLEY,

,'J; IC. LARsEN.

g adapted to the `foregoing i a dl: 'phragm 1n said. cas1ng,'1 n operati-ve connection W'ithsaidgas valve yand having aj30' presence of the subscribing Witnesses this' 21sll 

